2001 C320 coil springs

[craig.douglas]

Hi all,

does anyone know where I can get coil springs and rear suspension ball joints for my W203? C320. I don't want to pay stealership prices

 

[BlackC55]

ONLY get the springs from a dealer.

The correct type/rate is important and MB have a special way to work it out.

Ball joints? Lower outer? Try ECP (euro car parts)

 

[television]

To be truthful MB prices for these things are very good, and I would not advise anyone to get get their springs from anywhere else

 

[craig.douglas]

Hi all,

just priced merc dealer £45 for front & £42 rear + vat. they also quote £40+vat for the lower rear wishbone inc balljoint. Total £250. Not a bad price but at 64,000miles(2001 car) this car is becoming a money pit.
Is it common for springs to go at such a low mileage??

 

[television]

How many have you broken, though normally best to replace in pairs, this may not be the case with only 64k miles

 

[BlackC55]

Rear springs are very common.

Fronts not so much.

 

[craig.douglas]

Hi,

1front & 2 rear are broken, just my luck. This s**ks!!

 

[craig.douglas]

Hi all,

all springs are now done. I ended up buying them from the stealership. Unfortunatly I had to get a man in to change them for me! I was half way through changing the first one on the front when the spring clamp slipped off and bounced the spring all over me! I now have a first class black eye, seven stiches in my hand, a huge bruise on my knee and a sore backside(from a tetnus shot). Oh! and the huge dent in my ego.
So if anyone is planning to do their own w203 front springs, make sure you have a set of spring compressors that cost about £300. The £20 halfords ones don't fit into the w203 strut assembly, and can turn the spring into an exocet missile in the blink of an eye!!!

smiling through the pain

Craig

 

[47p2]

You need one of these to compress your springs. They are under £100.00 from Machine Mart, very easy to use and very safe. I would never use the old type again, they are too dangerous

 

[frank133]

Hi Craig,I used the old spring compressors with the same result,but I used a scaffold tube to lever it out ,it shot out but missed me [by a mile] I looked at the proper merc compressors and made a set out of steel plate.Not as pretty as the proper ones but well up to the job.I am supprised at how many people use the halford type compressor,[me included]anyone up in mersyside who need to borrow them are welcome.Just another tool hanging in the shed to be used once in a blue moon .to be honest I get more enjoyment out of making stuff ,just finished a foldaway engine hoist,to much time on my hands I think